


One night at the Eiffel Tower

by Sorry_im_trash



Category: Orbiting Human Circus of the Air (Podcast)
Genre: Almost Adoption, Fluff ?, M/M, Sick!Julian, Sickfic, cary is p cool in this, let john rest 2k17, small julian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 03:50:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10481445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorry_im_trash/pseuds/Sorry_im_trash
Summary: John Cameron loves the show. Archobald loves John Cameron. Archibal also loves helping small janitors with a cold





	

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for all typos and misspellings I'm really bad at editing my own stuff!

John Cameron loved The Orbiting Human Circus. There was very little things he loved more than the show. Archibald was one of those things.

And since John loved the show so much, Archibald loved it too. He'd come to see it every time he had a chance, spent his feeling moments of free time in the best seats of the ballroom, looking at the most beautiful man he'd ever met. After the show he'd sneak backstage and give the said man a pat on the back and later a kiss. Multiple kisses.

In fact, those were his plans right now, walking to the darkness behind the lights of the stage. 

That's when he hit his foot on something heavy on the ground, and had only time for a surprised yelp before falling on the floor.

“Wha--”

But before he could finish, the bundle of clothing he’d tripped on rose on it’s shaky feet, and Archibald found himself looking to the eyes of a small janitor.

“I am so sorry, sir, I’m so sorry” the janitor started, looking more like a scared child than an adult man. His eyes were shining in the poor lightning and his voice sounded like it was going to break any second.

“Nonono,” Archibald said, stopping the river of sorry’s. “I should apologise. Did I hurt you? What were you doing on the floor?”

The janitor blinked. “I’m okay sir.”

Something was off about the boy. He was leaning on an old broom and even in the darkness Archibald could see that he was thin and extremely pale, way paler than anyone should be. This boy was clearly not okay, even the actor could tell that.

But before he could do anything about that, he heard John’s voice calling for him.

“I should go. It was nice meeting you,” Archibald smiled.

“Thank you sir. It was nice meeting you too.”

\- - -

Archibald couldn’t sleep. He and John stayed back at the tower after all the staff had gone. John’s apartment was under construction so he’d slept in his dressing room for the past two nights, and frankly Archibald had slept in worse places than a couch-bed. Especially when he had his boyfriend snoring in his arms.

Awake John looked very different from asleep John. Awake John was well put, every hair in place and make up covering small imperfections on his skin. But awake John had this paniced energy, he seemed to be in a constant state of crisis and ready for the worst. Asleep John looked messier, but he also looked calm, like everything was okay. Archibald secretly hoped John could maintain the calmness to his wake, not looking like every small mistake would cause the downfall of mankind.

Carefully, not waking up his boyfriend, Archibald got up from the bed, planning to get a cup of water from the cafeteria. Or maybe tea. 

The hallways of the Eiffel Tower were peaceful and quiet. Archibald didn’t even hear the night guard going his rounds and felt nicely alone. So imagine his surprise when he walked towards the cafeteria door and suddenly started hearing quiet singing. It was weak and kind of off-key, but it had certain sadness and loneliness to it that made Archibald stop and listen. After a few moments the curiosity won him over and carefully he opened the door. 

In the table in the corner he saw the same small janitor nursing a cup of something hot, probably tea. In the dim light of the cafeteria Archibald finally got a good look of him, from his oversized clothes to his messy hair and pale face. He didn’t have a long time to make these notices though, because once the janitor noticed him he drew in a sharp breath which drove him into a violent coughing fit.

Archibald hurried to his side, but not knowing what to do just ended up looking concerned and patting the smaller man’s back until he was able to gasp air back into his lungs.

“Are you okay?” Archibald asked. “Sorry that I scared you.”

“Thank you,” the janitor said quietly. From close up even Archibald could tell that the janitor was really sick, pale and shivering with at least some fever.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at home?”

The janitor looked at him with his large, doe like eyes, clearly confused.

“But I live here.”

“Here? In the tower?”

“Yes, in the janitor’s closet.” He was again struck by a coughing fit, this one much smaller than the last. Archibald couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This small janitor who didn’t look a day over sixteen, lived in a closet. In the Eiffel tower. No wonder he looked sick, it was already late November. 

Archibald raised his hand to check the boy’s forehead, but pulled it away quickly when the younger one flinched away.

“I’m Cary, who are you?” he asked as softly as he managed.

“I’m Julian,” the janitor said. “I’m sorry if I woke you up.”

“No no,” Archibald said, “I couldn’t sleep anyway so I came here for a tea. I guess you had the same thoughts?”

Julian nodded, suddenly looking really tired. He pulled his oversized jacket tighter around himself, a jacket that Archibald recognized. Somehow that made him feel even worse, the kid didn’t even have proper clothes if his only jacket was one Archibald himself had forgotten to the tower. He made his decision.

“Okay, c’moon, let’s get you to bed.”

Julian looked at him, confused and so vulnerable.

“Sorry sir, I don’t think I know what you’re trying to say.”

Archibald shook his head.

“I’m not going to let you sleep in a goddamn closet, you’re clearly ill. You can sleep in John’s dressing room, we’ve opened the couch and I can sleep in the chair. if we’re quiet we might not even wake John up.”

Julian bit his lip and looked doubtful.

“Mr. Cameron doesn’t really like me that much.”

“What do you mean?”

“He yells at me often.”

Archibald felt a smile on his face. 

“He does yell to me too, but,” he lowers his voice into a fake whisper, “I’m pretty sure he still likes me.”

Julian’s smile is shy and soft, but enough for Archibald.

“Let’s go.”

\- - -

They arrive to John’s dressing room. It wasn’t pitch black, John had an orange night light in the shape of the Eiffel tower. what a nerd.

“I’ll sleep in the chair, you can sleep in the bed with John,” Archibald offered, but Julian shook his head. The boy looked like he was going to collapse, so Archibald decided it wasn’t a battle worth fighting. Quietly he picked up a few pillows and blankets and hushed him to the big armchair.

Archibald crawled back to the bed and wrapped his arms around John. Thank god for his deep sleep. After only a moment he could hear Julian’s soft breathing from the chair. 

The actor smiled to himself. Seems like he had adopted the small janitor of the Eiffel Tower.

**Author's Note:**

> You: tammi pls continue your wips!!!!11  
> Me: *hands u this one shot*
> 
> Sorry that it's.. weird I wrote it in class lmao  
> I just.. want Julian to get to have a family


End file.
